The coils on my Amana fridge keep frosting over. It happened the first time a couple weeks ago where both sides started to get warmer and the ice was wet. I unplugged it and cleaned out the freezer side, and took off the back panel to find the coils frozen at the bottom where the defrost heater is, and frosted solid all the way up to the fan above it.

I used a hairdryer to clean out all the frost, then plugged it back in and it worked great, but now it is frosted over and starting to do the same thing.

I've been checking around on google, and have seen suggestions that it could be the defrost timer, or the defrost limiter, with the latter being the most likely. I am planning on cleaning it out and taking a look later today again, but wanted to see if anyone might have some tips to look for when I do it.

It is an Amana side by side, with ice and water in the freezer side door.

Once it frosts up like it is, the fan above the coils still runs, but there isn't any way air can move over the coils and up into the rest of the unit.

Stewie

08-25-2009, 07:52 AM

This site is awesome for DIYers. Here's a GE with a similar problem. If you donate $5 you get lifetime access to everything on the site including repair manuals for popular models if they've been posted. Snoop around and you might find someone who's had the same problem with your exact model.

Thanks! I think I found another one here, but the one you linked has some good troubleshooting steps that I'll try.

allen_kcCard

08-25-2009, 08:32 AM

I didn't let it go 24 hours, but the coils were completed defrosted and the freezer side was barely cold at all anymore by the time I had it all melted out.

I can't find the dang defrost timer so far, I am starting to think it must be in the food compartment. I am going to try to manually move it to defrost mode once I can find the thing. I've taken off the kickplate on the frosnt and didn't see anything but the coils for the compressor. Checking from behind now, and if it isn't there I assume it is in the food compartment somewhere.

Alton deFlat

08-25-2009, 08:40 AM

I didn't let it go 24 hours, but the coils were completed defrosted and the freezer side was barely cold at all anymore by the time I had it all melted out.

I can't find the dang defrost timer so far, I am starting to think it must be in the food compartment. I am going to try to manually move it to defrost mode once I can find the thing. I've taken off the kickplate on the frosnt and didn't see anything but the coils for the compressor. Checking from behind now, and if it isn't there I assume it is in the food compartment somewhere.

In many cases it is in the food compartment.... possibly near the cold control / thermostat. Look for a small hole (about 1/2" in diameter). The defrost timer has a knob that can be accessed through that hole, that can be turned to manually place it into defrost.

allen_kcCard

08-25-2009, 08:56 AM

Ugh...I looked in the food compartment and took off the panel over the cold control and found a little cover that when I snapped it loose had a circuit board...which I've seen pictures of on some of the forums, so I assume that this one doesn't have a timer, but uses this instead. I took a look at it and I don't see any manual triggers to move it to defrost mode.

allen_kcCard

08-25-2009, 09:01 AM

Hmm, yup here is what I saw in there:

http://www.appliancepartsworldwide.com/Store_Part.aspx?Id=575753

BOARD, ADAPTIVE DEFROST

I wanted to move it to defrost manually to see if the rest of the stuff was working, but with this thing I'm not sure if that is an option yet.

I have a JennAir frig and it was doing the same thing. I replaced the adaptive defrost board. On this unit it's located in the refrigerator compartment, at the top. Not too bad to replace. JennAir offered to supply the part IF I hired a service tech to make the repair. I bought the part and installed it myself for 75.00 or so.

Chief Pote

08-25-2009, 09:42 AM

I just checked and MAYTAG owns Amana along with JennAir. Whirlpool purchased the entire group in 2007........all of those frigs are built by the same company. Go figure.

CaliforniaChief

08-25-2009, 09:52 AM

What are you thinking??? We live in America. Cash for Refrigerators is on the way, and your sugar daddy in DC is gonna hook you up.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/JustOneThing/story?id=8401046

Chief Pote

08-25-2009, 09:59 AM

88825

The Man himself.

Hydrae

08-25-2009, 10:02 AM

What are you thinking??? We live in America. Cash for Refrigerators is on the way, and your sugar daddy in DC is gonna hook you up.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/JustOneThing/story?id=8401046

Beat me to it! :)

penguinz

08-25-2009, 10:23 AM

I have a maytag piece of crap and the same thing happened to me. It ended up being the Defrost Thermostat.

I don't know why manufacturers have to replace items like defrost timers that would cost the consumer $15.00 - $20.00 with an item that's 4-5 time more expensive. Obviously the electronic part doesn't last any longer.

boogblaster

08-25-2009, 10:45 AM

Yep its the defrost thermostat or your defrost tube is blocked and can't get rid of the water ..

allen_kcCard

08-25-2009, 10:52 AM

Yep its the defrost thermostat or your defrost tube is blocked and can't get rid of the water ..

The tube that gets rid of the water that melts off the coils?

When I defrosted it manually last time it seemed to drain out just fine, but I put a towel over the drain since there was so much frost, as I didn't want whatever it was draining into to overflow and mess up my hardwood floors.

When you say defrost thermostat, do you mean the adaptive defrost board? Or the switch I've read about that is with the coils that kicks off the defroster once it has warmed up in there? I've read that those can break and stuck the switch open so that even when it goes into defrost mode the defrost never happens.

I am leaning toward the board, because I haven't heard the compressor kick off like it would in the defrost cycle.

I've read online that Amana is supposed to have a defrost test, I've seen one that said to press the light button 5 times in 6 seconds, and another to open/close one of the doors 4 times in 5 seconds, but I've tried both of these and the defrost cycle didn't seem to start.

Chief Pote

08-25-2009, 03:09 PM

The tube that gets rid of the water that melts off the coils?

When I defrosted it manually last time it seemed to drain out just fine, but I put a towel over the drain since there was so much frost, as I didn't want whatever it was draining into to overflow and mess up my hardwood floors.

When you say defrost thermostat, do you mean the adaptive defrost board? Or the switch I've read about that is with the coils that kicks off the defroster once it has warmed up in there? I've read that those can break and stuck the switch open so that even when it goes into defrost mode the defrost never happens.

I am leaning toward the board, because I haven't heard the compressor kick off like it would in the defrost cycle.

I've read online that Amana is supposed to have a defrost test, I've seen one that said to press the light button 5 times in 6 seconds, and another to open/close one of the doors 4 times in 5 seconds, but I've tried both of these and the defrost cycle didn't seem to start.

Are you hearing a "clicking" sound in the refrigerator compartment once the compressor is idle? If so, that means the adaptive defrost board is fried. The clicking sound is the attempt at defrosting the coils and the coils are not receiving the signal to do it's job.

allen_kcCard

08-25-2009, 04:08 PM

No clicking at all, but the compressor hadn't shut off today until I unplugged the whole thing. It is manually defrosted now and everything is back in and it is cooling everything back down. I'll turn the temp control way down (or up I guess really) to make it kick off later and see if I can tell any clicking.

One thing I did notice when I thawed it out is the defrost delimiter definately looks like what was described online when it has been frozen...it looks like the top was partly pried off, so I am pretty sure that is a problem, but I'm not sure it is the only problem yet...and worse off, I couldn't tell how the hell the thing would be replaced once I get a new one. There are two wires coming from it, one goes to a plug with another wire, and the second wire is part of a bundle that goes up into the top of the freezer and into the side-wall.

GESteve

08-25-2009, 08:30 PM

If the defrost thermostat looks like the top has poped it is the problem. Just splice the wires to the new t stat with wire nuts and seal with rtv or silicone

StcChief

08-25-2009, 08:31 PM

Obama says it's the new clunker just trade it in :)

GESteve

08-25-2009, 08:34 PM

Also if the defrost board is bad you can actually replace it with a defrost timer. Same plug. just make sure you wire it to run in cumulative run or it will freeze up again

milkman

08-26-2009, 05:29 AM

You should have just gone Frazod on it.

You have a gun, right?

allen_kcCard

08-26-2009, 06:37 AM

Also if the defrost board is bAd you can actually replace it with a defrost timer same
plug. just make sure you wire it to run in cumulative run or it will freeze up again

Ahh, that is good to know...I noticed that there was a hole where the board slot is covered up that would make sense for a timer to be since that would be where the dial would be accessible from...the amount of energy the board saves me probably hasn't gotten me enough to cover the extra cost of a board compared to a timer anyhow.

If it pretty obvious how to wire it to run cumulative? I haven't seen much on that yet.